Uta no Prince-sama one shots
by Sophie-U.F
Summary: (title)
1. Masquerade Mirage (Reiji)

A masquerade for the Carnival… The school tradition this year had adopted the theme of the Venetian Carnival under the principal's orders; the idea was wonderful, the ball gowns and masques might not have been busy to get, though marvelous nonetheless.  
As the time for the event approached fast and swiftly, three young women calmly walked around the gardens of the famous school as they fantasized, each in her own way, about the expected upcoming ball.  
"How do you think it will be?" mused the only idol of the three, frankly curious and eager.  
"I don't know…" muttered (f/n) with a light shrug as she sat down upon a bench nearby the pristine bandstand and the sun upon her. "What about you, Haru-chan?" she mused, closing her (e/c) coloured orbs in na attempt to better feel the soft cooling breeze.  
"Maybe… dreamy?!" giggled lightly the shy STARISH composer.  
"I guess you're right!" Tomochika chuckled along, soon adding: "Especially for (n/n)-chan!"  
"And why is that?" wondered the (h/c) genuinely surprised and curious at her friend's sudden comment.  
"You'll see!" giggled both red heads, before falling silent until it was finally time to return to work.

~~~~~

"(N/n)-chan!" a loud familiar voice echoed throughout the room and corridors as said girl entered the dance studio after a while; lacking the energy to react, the (h/c) was suddenly glomped, brought into a rather tight hug and found herself being twirled around by a rather bubbly brunette idol.  
"Rei-kun, we have work…" muttered the girl, attempting to hide her light blush with her (h/c) bangs. The man gently placed her back on her feet.  
"I'm sorry, (n/n)-chan…" he apologized, apologetically scratching his cheek.  
From across the room, the other members of the band, as well as Haruka and SARISH, attentively observed the cute trade between the duo. Suddenly, a flash passed through Reiji's stormy orbs; he had almost forgotten what he had been meaning to ask the girl.  
"(F/n)…" the brunette spoke with such seriousness that the surprise almost took everyone's breath away for a moment. "You're going to the Masquerade, right? Are you excited?"  
And with the questions, his excitement returned, causing some snorts, a few giggles and a share of sighs to erupt from every presente.  
"Of course, Rei-kun!" she smiled brightly in response.

~~~~~

"Amid the peaceful night wind,  
One by one, the carriages come to a stop  
Clad in its beautiful dress,  
The moon smells so sweet"

The night was beautiful, though a bit cool… The stars shone brightly alongside the bright moon high in the night sky, they shed their light upon the earth below with but mere whisps of clouds softly shadowing the brilliant sky.  
The main school building of the Academy was heavily decorated, almost resembling an european renaissance fair. One after the other, people began to arrive, girls with large gowns and shiny masques, boys with elegant suits and fitting masques, completing the marvelous environment that had been created.  
It wasn't before 10pm that (f/n) finally reached the large gate that represented the main entrance, having only left her quarters after the rest of her friends had….

"It will be all right, don't be afraid  
I won't let go of your hand clasped in mine  
Welcome to the party!  
Allow me to escort you there"

She felt observed as several people turned to gaze at her… She had opted for a magnificent dress with the help of no other than Camus himself; her dress was long and puffy, a bright tone of green with all the additional details in tones of white and a lighter green; her mask had been chosen with the help of yet another person, Jinguji Ren, it featured na owl, the color was bright emerald with details in silver and it shone like the grass under the sun of a bright Spring morning.  
As she shifted lightly her weight from one foot to the other and softly twirled her gloved fingers over her lap, (f/n) failed to notice a new presence…  
"Excuse me, my lady, but may I escort you inside?" a new, yet familiar, voice sounded.  
Warily, she slowly raised her head and (e/c) met with an all too familiar gente, yet stormy, gray, after noticing the newcomer's white gloved hand extended towards her as na invitation as he so courteously bowed before her.  
"Do I know you…?" she muttered breathlessly, baffled at the man's elegant appearance; his white suit was complemented with details in a forest green and a bow of the same colour hung around his neck in replacement of the common cravat, over his eyes stood a rather simple masque patterned black and golden, his brown hair was left loose, freely falling over his shoulders… He was stunning, breathtaking, to say the least…  
"Perhaps, my lady!" he conceded with a small grin, as she placed her hand upon his rather larger one signalling the acceptance of his invitation. "You will just have to find out later on."  
"Welcome to the party!" declared the brunette, smiling softly at his companion who still drowned herself in the recognition of the man which she was apparently unable to identify.

"Concealed within our hearts,  
These emotions that cannot put into words,  
Once hidden behind a mask,  
They can be conveyed"

"Thank you for accepting my invitation, my lady!" mused the man, showing a sweet side to his self.  
"It was my pleasure, kind sir!" she giggled softly; however, distracted with the entire environment that had been created in the inside of the building, she failed to notice the small glint of happiness that suddenly crossed the male's features for a moment.

"Now, shall we dance?  
Forgetting everything  
Even this fleeting love  
If it's even possible now…"

Almost immediately, he politely asked her for the honor of a dance and she, of course, acquiesced to his request.  
(F/n) wasn't the swiftest of people when it came to dancing, she was actually quite a klutz; luckily however, the man was swift on his feet and didn't seem to mind, apparently even happily taking the chance to help his companion learn how to truly waltz as he skillfully led her around the room.  
Together, the two ignored everything else around them, even other people… For endless hours, they danced together, ignoring the feelings that slowly raised from each other, whether recognition or love, but simultaneously letting themselves being taken over by those same feelings.

"An eternal masquerade  
I'll find you!  
Ah… This warmth  
Will show the way"

"RanRan, have you seen (n/n)-chan?" inquired the brunette, having found his friend leaning upon the wall in a corner alone, as was usual.  
"Have you lost your date?" mocked the albino.  
"She said she needed to go to the bathroom, but hasn't come back yet…" whimpered the older of the two, pretending to cry.  
"No, I haven't seen her." Waved off the rocker.  
After a while more looking, a certain feeling, a hunch, overcame his mind and body; following said sensation, he let his feet guide him over to the garden, to the stand beside the large lake, where he finally found the one he had been looking for.

"Casting aside everything else,  
I want to be able to tell you!  
"Tonight, in this world of dreams,"  
I'll touch your heart…  
I'll steal your heart…  
Your passing figure on the steps,  
Your aloof hearts closed off from something  
As lovely as an angel,  
I want to carry you away"

As he observed her angelic figure bathed by the pale silver light of the full moon, he felt his body light as a feather, he felt his brain cease working, he felt his breath stuck in his throat, he felt his heart stop for a second inside his chest… He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was and how he wished her heart belonged to him alone, but he was scared…  
Obtaining some courage, he stepped forward and called out to her, telling her he had been worried about her whereabouts. She apologized as she simply wanted to take a breather, but said she would return back inside with him if that appeased his mind.  
On the way back, the brunette, for a moment, had wished that he could just plainly kiss her, tell her of his feelings and carry her in his arms the rest of the way to make sure she wouldn't slip away from him again; but he was too afraid to act…

"Every person's innermost hearts  
Remain unseen behind a mask  
As someone plays,  
They dance to the song like clowns"

Back inside, everyone danced, almost like marionettes in a show for someone's entertainment, at the rhythmic and compassed sound.  
And like two new marionettes, the two joined the mysterious dance…

"As these gentle hours  
Begin to doze off,  
It seems at most this time is…  
Even so, it's just a mirage  
In a classical un, deux, trois,  
It's fine if you're clumsy  
I just want you to be  
Just the way you are"

As hours passed by, some people began to feel tired, (f/n) was a good example of such; however, she refused to stop, she refused to lose this moments with him just because she was starting to feel tired.  
As exhaustion took over her a bit more, she began to miss her steps which caused her to once again look more clumsy and step on her companion's feet; this caused the brunette, who somehow still held energy, to carefully start leading the (h/c) across the tricky dancefloor once again.

"An eternal masquerade  
I'll tell you!  
Ah… The night wears on,  
Growing more hazy  
In an endless dance  
As we are,  
"Tonight, in this world of dreams,"  
This dancing night…"

Most had stopped by now, but the two of them could not… Sleep and exhaustion could not take them while their gazes remained linked, while gray and (e/c) remained locked, in an eternal waltz of dreams.

"Revealing my true colors,  
Leaving behind this sinful romance  
In a kiss upon your brow,  
I've just stolen away your heart"

They kept on dancing until… morning came at last, exhaustion had began to take them both, to the point where they almost could not move any longer.  
With strong arms, he kept her from falling and supported her smaller frame. Carefully, he picked her up and carried her away.

~~~~~

As he sat her beside him upon one of the benches of the garden stand, catching her atention.  
"Will you tell me now who you are?"  
"Can you not tell?" he chuckled.  
"You seem… familiar, but I am not sure." She confessed.  
Then he softly placed a Light kiss upon her brow, then on the tip of her nose, her forehead, and finally… her lips…  
The girl was left dumbfounded as he moved backwards and took off his masque, revealing a face she knew oh-so-well.  
"Reiji…" she muttered as a dark blush covered her features.  
"Yes, my princess!" he nodded, kneeling down before her and taking her left hand on his right one. "I apologize for not having told you sooner, but I was afraid."  
"Afraid…" she echoed soundlessly, before calling out: "But, Reiji?"  
"Yes?" he wondered, lifting his eyes to meet hers.  
"I love you too!"


	2. Masquerade Mirage (Natsuki)

A masquerade for the Carnival… The school tradition this year had adopted the theme of the Venetian Carnival under the principal's orders, the idea was wonderful, but the ball gowns and masques were not an easy task for the great majority of the people to get; unless some connections from richer families could be put to good use.  
As the time grew closer and closer, three teenaged girls lazed around the large campus of the famous performing school as they fantasized, each in her own way, about the expected night.  
"Who do you think will invite you girls?" mused the only idol student, frankly curious about her friends' opinions.  
"I don't know, probably no one…" muttered (f/n) with an indifferent shrug as she laid upon the green grass that shined brightly under the bright sun. "But Haru-chan is sure to get quite a few invitations!" she guaranteed, closing her (e/c) coloured orbs in order to better feel the soft breeze.  
"Don't think like that, (n/n)-chan, I know for a fact that someone really enjoys your company!" giggled softly the shy composer student.  
"That's true, he doesn't hide it very well, does he?" Tomochika loudly laughed along.  
"And who might this 'he' be?" wondered the (h/c) genuinely both surprised and curious at her two best friends' little outburst.  
"You'll see!" both said, before falling silent until the bell finally rang, signalling that it was time to return to work.

~~~~~

"(N/n)-chan!" a loud familiar cry echoed throughout the room and corridors as said girl entered the classroom in the following morning; without enough energy yet to react, the (h/c) was glomped, lifted and twirled around by a rather tall blond boy.  
"Natsu-kun, isn't it too early for this yet?" muttered the girl, hiding her light blush with the large scarf that covered her neck. The blond gently placed her back now.  
"I'm sorry, (n/n)-chan…" he apologized, shyly scratching his cheek.  
From not too far, Haruka, Tomochika and the other boys attentively observed the sweet trade between the cute duo. Suddenly, a flash of remembrance passed through Natsuki's light green orbs; he had almost forgotten about what he had vowed to himself to do when the big announcement had come out.  
"(F/n)…" the blond spoke with such seriousness that the surprise almost took everyone's breath away for a moment too long. "I wanted to ask you if you would like to accompany me to the Masquerade?"  
A surprise, no doubt…  
"Of course, Natsuki!" she smiled brightly in response.

~~~~~

"Amid the peaceful night wind,  
One by one, the carriages come to a stop  
Clad in its beautiful dress,  
The moon smells so sweet"

The night was beautiful, but slightly cool… The stars shone brightly alongside a rather grand full moon, they shed their light upon the earth below without any whisp of shadow clouding the brilliant night sky.  
The Academy was heavily decorated, it almost resembled an european renaissance fair. One by one, girls with large gowns and shiny masques and boys with cool suits and elegant masques, began to arrive, completing the beautifully created environment.  
It wasn't before 10pm that (f/n) finally reached the main entrance, having left only after the rest of her friends had….

"It will be all right, don't be afraid  
I won't let go of your hand clasped in mine  
Welcome to the party!  
Allow me to escort you there"

She felt uncomfortable as several people turned to gaze at her… She had selected a wonderful dress with the help of no other than Jinguji Ren himself; her dress was long, yellow with all the small details in tones of cream and white; her mask had been chosen with the help of the same person, it featured a butterfly, more golden than the sand of the beach under the Summer sun.  
As she shifted ever so slightly her weight from one foot to the other and softly played with her gloved fingers, (f/n) failed to notice a new presence…  
"Excuse me, my lady, but may I escort you inside?" a new voice sounded.  
Slowly, she raised her head and (e/c) met with an all too familiar gentle green, after noticing the newcomer's gloved hand extended towards her as he courteously bowed before her.  
"Natsuki…?" she muttered breathlessly, baffled at his somewhat oddly elegant appearance; his dark suit was complemented with details in yellow and a white cravat while, glued to his glasses, was a rather simple masque patterned black and yellow, his hair was also… different, tied at his shoulder with a bright yellow ribbon… He was stunning, to say the least…  
"Yes, (f/n)!" he conceded, as she placed her hand upon his rather larger one. "I was just waiting for your arrival."  
"Welcome to the party!" declared Natsuki, smiling softly at his companion.

"Concealed within our hearts,  
These emotions that cannot put into words,  
Once hidden behind a mask,  
They can be conveyed"

"Thank you for accepting my invitation, (n/n)-chan!" mused Natsuki, returning to his sweetest self.  
"We're friends, Natsu-kun, of course I would've accepted!" she giggled, a little confused at his sudden insecurity; however, distracted with the entire environment, she failed to notice the small frown that suddenly crossed the male's features for a moment.

"Now, shall we dance?  
Forgetting everything  
Even this fleeting love  
If it's even possible now…"

He asked her to dance almost immediately, and she, of course, acquiesced to his request.  
Natsuki wasn't the swiftest person, he was actually a bit clumsy; luckily enough, (f/n) didn't seem to mind, she even took the chance to help him learn how to truly waltz.  
Together, the two forgot everything else around them, even other people… For hours, they danced together, ignoring the love they felt for each other, but bathing in those same feelings simultaneously.

"An eternal masquerade  
I'll find you!  
Ah… This warmth  
Will show the way"

"Ren-chan, have you seen (n/n)-chan?" inquired Natsuki, having found his blond friend surrounded, as was usual, by a crowd of his fans.  
"Have you lost your date?" chuckled Jinguji.  
"Not exactly, she said she needed to go to the bathroom, but hasn't come back yet…" stated the yellow idol.  
"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen her."  
After looking for almost one hour longer, a certain feeling overcame his heart and consequently body; following the sensation that took over his spirit, he let his own feet guide him to the garden, to the stand beside the lake, where he finally found the one he had been looking for.

"Casting aside everything else,  
I want to be able to tell you!  
"Tonight, in this world of dreams,"  
I'll touch your heart…  
I'll steal your heart…

Your passing figure on the steps,  
Your aloof hearts closed off from something  
As lovely as an angel,  
I want to carry you away"  
As he observed her angelic figure bathed on the pale silver light of the moon, he felt his body weightless, he felt a twitch on his brain, he felt his breath stuck in his throat, he felt his heart stop for a second inside his chest… He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was and how he wished her heart belonged to him alone, but alas that could not be…  
With courage, he stepped forward and called out to her, telling her he had been worried about her whereabouts. She apologized as she simply wanted to take a breather, but said she would return back inside with him if that appeased his mind.  
On the way back, Natsuki, for a moment, had wished that he could just plainly kiss her, tell her of his feelings and carry her in his arms the rest of the way to make sure she wouldn't slip away from him again; but no action was taken…

"Every person's innermost hearts  
Remain unseen behind a mask  
As someone plays,  
They dance to the song like clowns"  
Back inside, everyone danced, almost like marionettes in a show, at the rhythmic and compassed sound.  
And like new marionettes, the two joined the dance…

"As these gentle hours  
Begin to doze off,  
It seems at most this time is…  
Even so, it's just a mirage  
In a classical un, deux, trois,  
It's fine if you're clumsy  
I just want you to be  
Just the way you are"

As more and more hours passed by, some people began to feel tired, (f/n) was a good example of such; however, she refused to stop, she refused to lose this moments with him just because she was starting to feel tired.  
As exhaustion took over her a bit more, she began to miss her steps which caused her to look clumsy and step on her companion's feet; this caused the blond, who had somehow learned rather quickly, to carefully start leading the (h/c) across the tricky dancefloor.

"An eternal masquerade  
I'll tell you!  
Ah… The night wears on,  
Growing more hazy  
In an endless dance  
As we are,  
"Tonight, in this world of dreams,"  
This dancing night…"

Most had stopped by now, but they couldn't… Sleep and exhaustion could not take them while their gazes remained linked in an eternal waltz of dreams.

"Revealing my true colors,  
Leaving behind this sinful romance  
In a kiss upon your brow,  
I've just stolen away your heart"

They kept on dancing until… her eyes closed at last, exhaustion had fully invaded her small frame to the point where she could not move any longer.  
With strong arms, he kept her from falling and picked her up as she soon fell asleep on his grasp.

~~~~~

As he placed her upon her bed, he placed a soft kiss upon her brow, then on the tip of her nose, her forehead, and finally… her lips…  
Soon, he left the room, abandoning a simple phrase behind:  
"Sleep well, my beloved angel!"


	3. Jealous (Nagi)

"I'm late!" grunted the Heavens' manager as she ran as fast as she could up the street towards the Raging studio where she was supposed to be within the following five minutes. "Argh, why didn't the damned alarm ring?"  
"Good morning, (f/n), it seems you were the last to arrive today! How odd." A familiar voice chuckled near her.  
"Shouldn't you be practicing, Eiichi-san?" sighed the (h/c), raising her eyes to face said male.  
"I just wanted to see whether or not you'd arrive in time!" he chuckled, more mischievously than it was usual.  
No words left the girl's mouth, she was frankly unaware of what she should or not say.  
"EIICHI!" one other familiar voice echoed loudly throughout the corridors, easily reaching the duo's ears. From a corner, Nagi appeared soon followed by Van, Kira and Yamato.  
"Oh, Nagi!" Eiichi grinned largely. "Just the one I hoped to see!"  
The Otori heir then received several odd looks as the next words left his mouth: "Did you know that our dearest (f/n) is dating Van?"  
Out of the nowhere, the girl felt herself loosing balance, as if someone had pushed her, and fell in the direction of that same young man, of course… Startled, Van caught her in his arms, stopping her from falling over; he ended up holding her close to his chest.  
Surprised with the sudden turn of events, (f/n) blushed lightly and pushed herself away from the idol's embrace.  
"Thank you…" she muttered.  
"You're welcome!" smiled softly the famous heart robber.  
"And Eiichi…" tried to continue the (h/c), but said nuisance had already disappeared, along with the rest of the band members.

~~~

At some point, as she sat quietly reviewing the boys' agendas and observing their rehearsal, (f/n)'s (e/c) orbs fixed themselves upon the shortest member's moving back.  
'I hope that didn't upset him…' she sighed thoughtfully. 'I mean, what Eiichi did…'  
After two or three hours, an empathetic voice snapped her out of her trance: "Will you stop staring at Nagi's back and stand up already? The rehearsal ended 5 minutes ago!"  
"Oh… Already?" she muttered, clearly embarrassed at the situation.  
"Yes! Shall we head for lunch now?" chuckled Van, alongside Eiji and Shion, the two who stood closest to them.  
"Sure!" she nodded promptly.  
As the boys and (f/n) all joined to leave for lunch, Nagi left saying nothing but:  
"Excuse me, but I have something to take care of…"  
"What was that all about?" mused Eiji.  
"Who knows…" shrugged Shion in response.

~~~A few days later…~~~

"A what?" she growled, a barely even noticeable tinge of jealousy disrupting her normal tone.  
"A double date, I said!" clarified the short boy.  
"You know Eiichi was simply making things up, right?" she emphasised.  
"Maybe, but me and Haruka are more than glad to go on this outing with you and Van!" he smiled at her, causing a very light to crawl up to her cheeks.  
"But… Van and I are just friends…" she whispered, her eyes fixed on the dark tiles of the floor.  
"What was that?" he asked, having been unable to hear her last words.  
"Nothing!" she snapped, before quickly running away from his standing form.

~~~

Casually, (f/n) and Haruka waited for the two idols.  
"Hey, (f/n)-san?" called out the composer. "You seem to be a bit down. Is everything alright?"  
"It's nothing, really!" assured the (h/c), faking a happy smile.  
"If you say so…"  
The two fell silent once again, until, at last, the awaited duo entered their sight minutes later.  
"Van-san, Nagi-kun!" Haruka suddenly called out; causing the manager to frown worriedly at the sudden change of treatment.  
The two boys closed up on them and Nagi ran to hug the Shining composer; from behind (f/n), the actor approached.  
"Are you okay with this?" Van whispered in all seriousness.  
"I'm fine!" grumbled the (h/c).  
After a second of thought, the older idol took his companion's hand in his and requested: "If you don't mind, let's hold hands!"  
Silently, she nodded and thanked him with a tiny smile.  
Noticing this, Haruka warned her own companion: "(F/n)-san and Van-san are holding hands!"  
At this, Nagi sent a deadly glare in his band mate's direction.  
As the outing went on, they entered the amusement park. For hours, (f/n) dragged Nagi around with her on all the rides the other two refused to go on.  
"Van-san, do you like (f/n)-san?" Haruka asked, while the other two had left to go on the roller coaster.  
"No! What about you?" he responded in all seriousness, his arms crossed over his chest.  
"No, I'm only doing this for their sake!"  
"As am I!" he chuckled, observing Nagi's figure being choked by a hyper (f/n).  
Mere seconds later, the 'fun duo' appeared back at their dates' sides; Nagi was pale and looked extremely sick, (f/n) on the other side…  
"That was so much fun!" beamed excitedly the (h/c), throwing her arms up and twirling around.  
"I am about to throw up…" muttered Nagi, with one hand over his stomach and the other over his mouth.  
"Then you shouldn't have gone on it…!" glared the manager.  
"Well, you two must be hungry after all the excitement." Haruka smiled sweetly at the two, regaining (f/n)'s focus all of a sudden.  
"Yes, let's go!" beamed brightly the (h/c), immediately beginning to lead the way.  
"She looks… hyper!" chuckled the older of the two boys.  
"Well, I don't really know how I'm going to do this, but it will be today!" Nagi declared, eliciting yet another chuckle from his co-worker.

~~~

"Time to go home!" (f/n) giggled happily.  
"I'll walk you home!" declared Nagi. "Do you mind, Van-chan?"  
"No, I'll take Haruka to the Shining Agency then." acceded the older idol.

~~~

"Hey, (f/n)…" called the boy, finally breaking the heavy silence that had lasted for several minutes after falling upon them. "Do you… love Van?"  
"What?" blinked the girl, frankly surprised and dumbfounded. "Of course not, he and I are just…"  
"Good!" intervened Nagi, suddenly taking a hold of the girl in his arms. "Then that means you can still be mine!"  
"Nagi…" she stuttered, a heavy blush taking over her features as her imagination ran wild with what could or not come afterwards.  
Slowly, the two deeply looked into each other's eyes and, even more slowly, the two began to lean in into what would be their first and most marvellous kiss, until…  
"(N/n)-chan! Nagi-chan!" the all too familiar voice echoed throughout the immense streets, Natsuki seemed to have suddenly materialized at their side.  
"You ruined the moment!" Tomochika whined, appearing from somewhere behind a corner.  
With a gigantic blush, (f/n) lowered her head and covered her face with her hands. Nagi, however, didn't wish to leave things at that point; carefully he tilted her head upwards and approached his lips to hers. Before the boy's lips touched hers, he uttered one last thing:  
"I love you!"  
'I love you too, Nagi-kun…!'


	4. Masquerade Mirage (Ai)

A masquerade for the Carnival… The school tradition this year had adopted the theme of the Venetian Carnival under the principal's orders, the idea was wonderful, breathtaking ball gowns and masques that were unfortunately hard to find for the great majority of the people...  
Three teenaged girls carefully read over the invitations as they lazed inside the room of one of them, while fantasizing, each in her own way, about the expectedly eventful night.  
"Girl's choice…?" mused one of the two composers, (f/n), as she read over the sentence yet again. "What exactly does that mean?"

"It means we, girls, get to ask the boy we want to come with us to the dance!" announced proudly the only idol of the group. "Who are you thinking of inviting, girls?"  
"I don't know…" muttered (f/n) with a soft blush covering her (s/c) features as a sudden thought invaded her mind. "What about you, Haru-chan? Must be hard having to choose from so many!" she mused, closing her (e/c) coloured orbs as she let her back come in contact with the bed's suave mattress.  
"I don't know yet, but I do know who you would like to ask out, (n/n)-chan!" giggled softly the shy composer.  
"That's true, you two would make such a cute couple!" Tomochika loudly cheered along.  
"I have no idea who you're talking about!" bursted the (h/c), reaching out for a pillow that could help her conceal her growing blush due to her two best friends' little outburst.  
"Sure you don't!" both agreed.

"What about you, Tomo-chan?" asked Nanami, deciding to change the subject.

"Maybe my composer, he's a real cutie, you know?" winked the idol.

With this the trio fell silent, enjoying their little time of peace before they all had to return to work.

~~~~~

"Ai-kun!" she called shyly and took a hold of one of his sleeves in an attempt to catch his attention, after the rehearsals of the day had come to an end.  
"Is there anything the matter, (f/n)?" wondered bluntly the cyan-head, turning his gaze to the nervous female that had called out to him.  
"Well…" muttered nervously the girl, shifting and blushing under the boy's focused gaze; she appeared to have suddenly lost her courage, now that she had come to finally face the profound turquoise eyes.

"Your actions are being qute uncharecteristical of you." Declared Ai. "Did something happen?"  
From across the room, Haruka, Tomochika and the rest of Quartet Night attentively observed the awkward trade between the odd duo. Suddenly, a flash of will and adrenaline rushed through (f/n)'s mind and body and she blatantly asked, half-yelled:  
"Ai-kun!" her voice had suddenly become so strong that took everyone by surprise and caused some to almost choke. "Will you accompany me to the Masquerade ball?"  
After having uttered the question, she instantly closed her eyes, turned her face towards the floor, and began feeling extremely light-headed, to the point that she believed she could faint with all the blood that suddenly rushed to her head…  
"Of course, (f/n)!" nodded bluntly the android, before walking away.

The (h/c) felt such a wave of relief on that moment that she let her body fall to the ground with contempt.

~~~~~

"Amid the peaceful night wind,  
One by one, the carriages come to a stop  
Clad in its beautiful dress,  
The moon smells so sweet"

The night was beautiful, though a cool breeze turned it cold… The stars shone brightly around the red full moon, they bathed the earth below with their light that was not shadowed by a single whisp of cloud.  
The Academy was grandly decorated, causing it to indeed resemble an european renaissance fair. One by one, girls with large gowns and shiny masques and boys with elegant suits and fitting masques, began to arrive, completing the breath-taking environment that had been created.  
It wasn't until 10pm that (f/n) finally made her appearance before the main entrance, as her friends had all left before she could….

"It will be all right, don't be afraid  
I won't let go of your hand clasped in mine  
Welcome to the party!  
Allow me to escort you there"

She felt observed and somewhat uncomfortable as several people turned to gaze at her… She had selected a wonderful dress with the help of two dearly trusted friends, Aijima Cecil and Camus; her dress was long and puffy, bright red with all the details in black and golden; her mask had been chosen with the help of the same two, it featured a feline and it's colour was ruby, more red than blood, more red than the raging flames of a burning volcano.  
As she shifted ever so slightly her weight between her two feet and softly occupied herself with playing with her gloved fingers, (f/n) failed to notice a new presence that approached her…  
"Pardon me, my lady, but may I escort you inside?" an all too familiar voice echoed in her eardrums.  
Slowly, she twirled around, raised her head and (e/c) met with a familiar tone of cool turquoise; as she turned she noticed the newcomer's black cladded hand extended towards her as he ever so courteously bowed before her.  
"Ai…?" she muttered breathlessly, baffled at his appearance, he was elegant, breath-taking; his dark long coat was beautifully complemented with white leaves and a white cravat while, glued to his face, was a half-mask, it covered but half of his face and it featured a dark butterfly that was complemented by a pair of bright red feathers that were glued to the mask by a black and silver star medallion, his hair was as always, though instead of using his usual tie to hold it up, he had opted to use a black ribbon that contrasted with his light hair… He was stunning, to say the least…  
"Yes, (f/n)!" he conceded, as she placed her hand upon his larger one, as a signal of accepting his offer. "I was just waiting for your arrival."  
"Welcome to the party, my lady!" declared the idol, offering his companion a smile that was barely even present.

"Concealed within our hearts,  
These emotions that cannot put into words,  
Once hidden behind a mask,  
They can be conveyed"

"Thank you for accepting my invitation, Ai!" smiled (f/n), shaking off some of the embarrassment.  
"We are friends and colleagues, I do not see any reasons as to why not accept." Stated Ai, a little confused at her statement; at that moment, he noticed a strange expression, a small frown, cross his companion's expression momentarily, but opted to ignore it.

"Now, shall we dance?  
Forgetting everything  
Even this fleeting love  
If it's even possible now…"

Almost immediately, Ai politely bowed down and requested for the honour of a dance, and she, of course, acquiesced to his invitation.  
(F/n), contrarily to her companion, wasn't the swiftest of people when it came to dancing, she was actually quite clumsy; luckily however, the boy didn't seem to mind it, as he even took the time to instruct on the basics of how to waltz properly.  
Together, the two were engulfed into their own little world, forgetting everything and everyone else around them… For hours, they danced together, ignoring the feelings that rose with each given step, but simultaneously bathing in those feelings all the same; feelings that were foreign to the young android.

"An eternal masquerade  
I'll find you!  
Ah… This warmth  
Will show the way"

"Reiji, have you seen (f/n)?" inquired Ai, having found his brunette friend joking around with a small crowd of fans.  
"Did AiAi loose his date?" grinned Reiji.  
"No, she said she needed to go to the bathroom, but hasn't come back yet and it has already been half an hour." stated the younger idol. "And I feel something strange because of it."  
"Sorry, AiAi, I haven't seen her." The brunette shook his head; but before the cyan-head could leave, he added with a large grin: "Don't forget to confess tonight!"  
After looking for almost one hour, a certain feeling took control of his mind and body and led him away from the busy ballroom and into the garden, to the stand beside the lake, where he finally found the one he had been looking for.

"Casting aside everything else,  
I want to be able to tell you!  
"Tonight, in this world of dreams,"  
I'll touch your heart…  
I'll steal your heart…  
Your passing figure on the steps,  
Your aloof hearts closed off from something  
As lovely as an angel,  
I want to carry you away"

For a moment he stood, engraving the celestial sight in his mind; the girl's angelic figure was bathed on the bloody light of the red moon. Suddenly, he felt his body lose all its weight, he felt something click on his brain, he felt his breath stuck in his throat, he felt his heart stop for a second inside his chest… At that moment, all he wanted was to tell her how beautiful she was and how he wished her heart belonged to him alone; but how could that be…?  
Regaining his composure, he stepped forward and called out to her, telling her he had been worried about her whereabouts and about whether or not something had happened to her. She apologized as she simply wanted to take a breather away from all the people, but assured she would return back inside with him if that appeased his mind.  
On the way back inside, Ai, for a moment, wished that he could just feel her lips on his, tell her of his feelings and hold her in his arms for the remnant of the night to make sure she wouldn't slip between his fingers and away from him again; but he was too fearful to take action…

"Every person's innermost hearts  
Remain unseen behind a mask  
As someone plays,  
They dance to the song like clowns"

Back at the ball, everyone danced, almost like little marionettes in a show, at the rhythmic and compassed sound.  
And like brand new marionettes, the two joined the dance…

"As these gentle hours  
Begin to doze off,  
It seems at most this time is…  
Even so, it's just a mirage  
In a classical un, deux, trois,  
It's fine if you're clumsy  
I just want you to be  
Just the way you are"

As endless hours passed by, people began to grow tired, (f/n) was a good example of such; however, she refused to stop, she refused to lose this unique moments with him just because she was starting to feel tired.  
As exhaustion took over her further, she began to miss her steps which caused her clumsiness to return and to step on her companion's feet; this caused the cyan-head, who still held a large amount of energy, to once again start carefully leading the (h/c) across the tricky dance floor.

"An eternal masquerade  
I'll tell you!  
Ah… The night wears on,  
Growing more hazy  
In an endless dance  
As we are,  
"Tonight, in this world of dreams,"  
This dancing night…"

Most people had stopped by now, but they could not… Sleep and exhaustion could not take them as their gazes remained linked, as (e/c) and turquoise remained locked, in an eternal waltz of dreams.

"Revealing my true colors,  
Leaving behind this sinful romance  
In a kiss upon your brow,  
I've just stolen away your heart"

They kept on dancing until… her eyes closed at last, exhaustion fully invaded her small frame to the point where she could not move any longer.  
With strong arms, he kept her from falling to the ground and gently picked her up as soon as she fell into a deep slumber on his grasp.

~~~~~

As he placed her upon her bed, he placed a soft kiss upon her brow, then on the tip of her nose, her forehead, and finally… her lips…

Then, from one of his pockets, he retreated a velvety dark box.

"I wanted to give this to you when you were awake, but it seems that is no longer possible…" he muttered to himself. "This is a promise… You are the one I will always love, and when I fully understand said feeling, I will tell you!"

From the box, he took a necklace, a bright red ruby held up by a golden chain; carefully, so as to not wake his companion, he locked the pendant around her neck.  
Soon, he left the room, abandoning a simple phrase behind:  
"Sleep well, my little butterfly!"


	5. After training (Hyuga Yamato)

After a long day of warming and training, outside, upon the brilliant green grass laid two people a couple to be exact, (f/n) and Yamato were their names.

"I need to work harder… I'm still terrible at this… " arfed heavily the girl, still attempting to catch her lost breath even after nearly ten minutes.

The blond haired young man sat beside her laying form, perfectly well in every aspecto.

"You should pick up your pace slowly, not simply start sprinting, idiot!" he mocked.

"Oh, shut it!" she lightly punched her boyfriend's upper ar min a playful manner ; obtaining a soft smile and a kiss to the top of her head in response.

"You are way too tal!" She huffed with a smile, as she turned her gaze upwards and ruffled the male's already messy hair.

"No, you're just too short!" he laughed, shaking his head negatively.

"Hey!" she barked, clearly indignated at the comment.

"What?" he muttered absently.

"You're too handsome…" she muttered, bluntly poking his chest.

"And you're too cute!" he smirked.


	6. Wake up, peasant! (Camus)

During the entire night, she tossed and turned, ending up hitting him time and again. For hours, he tried everything he could avoiding waking her up at all costs: he attempted to hold her closer, but it did not work as she repeatedly wriggled her way out of his arms like a little eel trying to escape the grip of its captor; pulling the blanket off her smaller form also failed to work for then she would latch onto him like the spring polens to one's clothes.

At a certain point, annoyance began to crawl in and slowly took over his mind; for, as he believed that it could not get any worse, it did.

She began snoring... Even if only a light snore, it appeared to unnerve him tremendously. Maybe he wouldn't be as touchy, had the following day not been so full of work; and, as you may guess, a full day of hard work like the one planned always requires a good, or at least decent, night's sleep and a breakfast that fills well.

Shaking her arm gently, he attempted to raise her from her deep slumber, if only just a little; but no such luck.

The second time, he shook her a little harder, but all he receives is an incomprehensible string of sleep talk; however, she eases down.

For a few minutes, he laid there, quiet, in the dark. As silence took over the night and everything became entirely peaceful, he believed that he could sleep at last.

Until…

She snored yet again, before slapping him right on the face.

That was it...

"(F/n)! (F/n)!" he called out, clearly annoyed. "Wake up, peasant!"

At last, she fluttered her eyes open. Softly, she rubbed the sleep away from her (e/c) eyes, and gazed in panic at her companion.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" she blurted out rapidly.

"You keep kicking and slapping me!" barked the blond. "Stop doing it, peasant!"

He couldn't get himself to act nice at the moment. Despite the darkness of the room, he could clearly distinguish her irritated expression.

"Really, Camus? You forcefully woke me up because of that?" she blatantly asked with a sigh, immediately deciding to pull the covers again up to her chin and turn around to face the other way. "Just go to sleep, we have work to do tomorrow."

In no more than a few seconds, she fell asleep once again, leaving the man there to gawk at her with a slightly open jaw. To make matters worse, she kicked him yet again; this time, he falls down to the floor; and the rustling sound of the covers being dragged to her side of the bed echoes throughout the entire room.

'Wonderful…' was his only thought, before he opted to leave to sleep on the sofa in the living room.


	7. Schedule (Ai)

"Good morning, Ai! Get ready, cause we are going for a walk!" chirped an all too familiar voice, diverting the cyan-haired male's attention from his lyrics writing.

"My schedule for today says that I need to continue my work on this composition, not to mention that everyone else is working as well." Stated the idol in a rather blunt manner; his cool gaze turned towards the newcomer, who had simply decided to barge into his room.

"Ai, sweetie, it's your day off, not the others'! Meaning…" mused the (h/c) in a sing-song voice, before darkly narrowing her eyes and beginning to yell: "I did not ask about the schedule and much less do I care about what everyone else is doing! It's your day off, it's my day off and we're going for a walk!"

The shiver that ran down Ai's spine confused him greatly, it was a feeling he knew to be associated with fear though it was the first time he felt such a thing. Turquoise orbs widened in surprise, he acceded:

"Certainly, as you wish!"


	8. Period (Ranmaru)

This was finally it, he felt exhausted…

Within the last hour it had been the third time she had requested to have her pillows adjusted, the sixth time she had requested a large cup of hot chocolate, and the second time she had begged for a pet crocodile...

"No, (f/n), you can't have a crocodile…" he sighed in defeat, receiving only a murderous glare in response.

That was the moment when he opted to leave the room the two shared in the group's apartment; his head ached but it still remained attached to the rest of his body, and so he wished for it to remain.

After a while, from the kitchen rose a scream, the count was loudly shouting something about the disappearance of the stash of sugar; his voice sounded extremely panicked, yet somehow simultaneously extremely annoyed.

Walking towards said division, he noticed the immense mess, not a single corner of it had remained untouched. In his mind, he honestly thought she deserved an award for making such a mess in so little time.

Looking around, however he saw no one (Camus had already been taken out by Ai to buy sugar); and so he decided to crouch down. Under the large counter, the girl was sprawled across the floor, crumbs dusted the corners of her mouth and powdered sugar tinted her (h/c) tresses white.

With a clearly exasperated groan, he grabbed her shoulders, pulled her from under it, picked her up and cradled her softly to his chest.

Walking back towards their shared bedroom, he attempted his best not to snap at Reiji's completely unnecessary comments.

"Aww… RanRan, have you gone soft?" he cooed rather loudly.

He refused to place down the girl to go after the older man, but, apparently, it wasn't even needed. While stretching like some kind of cat in the morning, the girl somehow managed to extend her arm too fast for the brunette to dodge, resulting in a slap to said man's face.

Ranmaru chuckled at the turn of the events and, while Reiji tried to recover from the surprise, the couple moved away.

"Ran-kun…" her sleepy voice echoed lightly in his ears.

"Yes?"

"Stay with me, please?" she asked.

"I have to clean up your mess now or they'll force me to do it later…!" he sighed, annoyed at the fact that it was actually true.

"Don't blame me that I need sugar to survive this!" she whined, burying herself into the soft dirty covers.

He cringed at the unnatural cracking sound the cloths were making.

"What?" her voice echoed, muffled by all the layers of tissue that covered her.

"What what, kid?" he asked in return.

"You think I'll do something weird and gross again, don't you…?" her tone had lowered drastically after a silent pause.

"No..." he attempted as alarms buzzed all over his brain, warning him not to step on any mine.

"Yes!" she blurted out, her face suddenly emerging from the sea of cloths. "You always thing that! But, you know what? F*** it cause I'm a useless dirty-…!" her yells were cut off, when a pale hand covered her mouth; he sighed in defeat as he had been completely unable to avoid the mines...

"Fine!" he acceded with an annoyed groan. "I'll stay."

Suddenly returning to her state of happiness, she scooted closer to his now laying form and cutely cuddled to him. He sighed once again that day; he really didn't mind cuddling, but he also had honestly to clean up the kitchen because the others most probably wouldn't do so, as it wasn't 'their mess'.

After a while had passed, when he finally believer to be sound asleep, he tried to move away. But alas, he could not; the death grip she had on his arm couldn't be undone without waking her up.

He shifted to a more comfortable position, accepting that it would take a while before he could 'escape'.

Eventually, after a few more minutes, the intense groans of pain started and her grip on him tightened greatly. It must've really hurt for her to act like that; so, he placed his hand upon her abdomen and began to caress it softly, that seemed to help as her entire body relaxed.

Maybe Reiji and the others were right… Maybe he really had softed down, but he certainly didn't mind it at all!


End file.
